


Chapter I

by muggleweasley



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-31 00:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10887882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muggleweasley/pseuds/muggleweasley
Summary: Nightmares. A fake doctor. The prince of Hell.A winning combination.





	Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> So I wrote this for a zine that I made with a friend of mine, which you guys are welcome to read btw [https://muggleweasley.wordpress.com/zine/], revolving around a particular theme. In this publication (?), the theme that we picked out is the Unknown.  
> Anyways, any kind of feedback is welcome. And thank you for reading!

The slow whirring of machines made her eyes heavy. But she had to push herself, she couldn't let herself sleep. 

With sleep come dire consequences.

She slapped herself again and again. Stay awake, stay awake. 

Watch out for the beast, legend has it that if it sees you it'll eat you.

Her boss couldn't afford to lose another employee. Exit, where's the exit? 

Find a button, the exit will reveal itself once the button is pressed.

"Maybe I can be of assistance, luv?" Get me out of here! "Afraid that I can't, sweetheart. You're too much of an asset." Get me out! I don't want to be here! "Careful now, any louder and the beast will come running for you," You said that you'd help! "I am, luv. Just not in the way that you'd like." Button, I need to find the button. "Better hurry, then. Your time's almost up." What? "The clock, luv. Look up."

* * *

 

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

"Now I want you to focus on the beats, Erica," Charlie prompted gently, "Remember that you're in a safe place and that no one can harm you here."

Charlie shifted silently in his seat, keeping his eyes on the metronome that was beginning to slow. Their session was coming to a close, the hour was up.

"Once it stops," he said as he eyed his watch, "I want you to take a deep breath and open your eyes. Take your time, there's no need to rush."

Lying on the couch opposite his was Erica, a woman of about thirty with a case of generalized anxiety disorder. They spent today's session focusing on her nightmares which have progressively worsened since she started her new job.

He remembered when she first came in; she was a bundle of nerves, begging for his help. She had been to many doctors before him and none of their treatment seemed to work. Reluctantly he agreed. She was frantic and he didn't think that saying no would do her any favours.

Charlie got too preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't notice her coming to.

"Ungh."

Erica opened her eyes slowly, heaving a sigh of relief as she took in the room around her: a warm beam of sunlight filtering in through the windows, the couch covered in soft leather, the scent of wood. _Use your surroundings to ground you_ , was Charlie's advice for her bad days. She needed that more than ever now as it felt like she had just ran a marathon. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and she had beads of sweat running down the sides of her forehead.

 _You're at the doctor's office for your monthly session_ , she reminded herself. _No one is coming for you. Do not forget to breathe._

_In through the nose, and out through the mouth. In through the nose, and out through the mouth._

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked after letting some time pass.

"Shaken," she replied, slowly putting herself into a sitting position. She tried her best to compose herself before saying anything else; the dream shook Erica to her core, and she found it hard to push the images away. The more she tried, the more vivid it became.

_In through the nose, and out through the mouth. In through the nose, and out through the mouth._

Again, Charlie checked his watch, they were almost five minutes over the hour. It was time for Erica to go.

"It looks like our time's up," he said as he clapped his hands together, the sound making Erica jolt upright, "But we can talk about it if you'd like?"

She looked at him with disbelief. Of course she wanted to talk about it, she was paying for his services after all. But he obviously wanted her to leave, and she couldn't afford an extra hour.

"No, it's alright," Erica smiled meekly, "I'll just walk it off."

She slowly pushed herself off the couch with Charlie following suit.

**The beast is near.**

Erica released a gasp as she took a step back, searching for the voice. The accent, the honeyed tone, it was all too familiar...

Like that voice from her nightmares.

_It was just a dream, nothing more. You're just hearing things, that's all._

Charlie remained where he was, irked by her sudden change in behaviour. As much as he tried, he couldn't help but to ball his fists in anger, his demeanour betraying his calm façade. She was making things difficult and he hated difficult people. He had to break her away from her thoughts or she'd never leave. But he had to be gentle, this girl was a fragile flower and tough love never seem to work for people like her. Carefully, he released the tension from his muscles and forced a smile onto his face.

"Erica," he said with as much sweetness as he could muster, "I think it's best for you to go home. Make yourself a cup of tea, or sleep it off maybe."

Angered by his lack of empathy, Erica turned on her heel and stomped off. _Fucking bastard_ , she felt like saying. Underneath all that rage, however, was a hint of confusion. Something wasn't right about his behaviour today, especially his cold demeanour nearing the end. Why was he so eager for her to leave?

**That's right, luv. Walk away. Fast as you can.**

She was almost at the door when she felt him forcefully grabbing her shoulder, making her freeze in her tracks. His hands felt icy cold against her skin... and for some reason, scaly. Frightened, Erica tried to push his hand off, but his grip was so tight that it was impossible. Her fear heightened with every passing second: What if he killed her? They were alone and he seemed angry enough.

As she tried looking for means of escape, the temperature of the room began to drop, causing the hairs on her arm to stand.

"And Erica?"

His voice sounded different, deep and growling, unlike that of a human.

**Remain still, Erica.**

Erica held her breath, she had never believed in God but in that moment she prayed. She prayed for this to be another one of her nightmares, for someone to come in and save her, a divine intervention, anything.

_Don't kill me, please._

"I don't think that this needs saying," Charlie said coolly, his voice reverting back to its usual state, "But make sure that you remember our little agreement."

\---

_They both sat in total silence, realising the gravity of the situation that they were in._

_It was Charlie who broke the silence, carefully rolling a piece of parchment before putting it away._

_"I am able to withdraw treatment whenever I want. Because let's face it, you look like you're on the verge of another relapse."_

_"But that's--" Erica began before he put his hand up, requesting her silence. She unwillingly complied, unhappy with the way things were going._

_"I only help those who help themselves, Erica." he said calmly, "And I can see another attempt in your future. You're lucky that I agreed to help at all."_

_"In that case, I want out."_

_"You can't, you just signed the contract."_

_Charlie pulled the parchment out from behind his seat, waving it in her face. Her eyes followed its motion, sending her into a tizzy. She could not recall signing anything, let alone an important document._

_"What?"_

_"Mortals never remember the contents of a contract. Or signing one for that matter." he remarked disparagingly. He had little patience for mortals, none of them had ever proven themselves useful. Not only were they self-serving but they were also co-dependent. A rather unhealthy trait, he found._

_"I will make an exception, I suppose," he sighed, once again putting the parchment away, "For a price."_

_He waited for Erica's response but she remained silent, her brain still processing the contract._

_Impatient, he pressed on:_

_"These 'sessions' that I'm giving you is another chance at life. I'm freeing your soul from limbo and letting you return to Earth, back to everything and everyone that you love. But if you're willing to toss that away, I will have no choice but to hand your soul over to the gates. Lucky for you, you ended up on my plane first. I'm more forgiving than most."_

_Charlie leaned forward, lightly pressing his finger against the middle of her forehead._

_"So what will it be, Erica?"_

_Unblinkingly, she nodded. There was no way out of this, she had to cooperate. She got herself into this mess, and she would get herself out._

_He slowly pulled his hand away and went on with the terms, ignoring her odd behaviour._

_"Once your soul returns, you won't remember anything from this exchange. Only that you're seeing me for therapy."_

_She nodded again, she had rather forget her foolishness than relive it every single day. She was about to move on when a question popped into her head._

_"How am I going to get here if this isn't Earth?"_

_"Leave that part to me, you just focus on getting better." Charlie replied as he gave her a reassuring smile._

_"And the agreement?"_

_"Only when prompted, will you remember. It'll erase itself once you do."_

_"What good will that do?"_

_Charlie looked away, carefully crafting his answer. He didn't want to offend but he didn't want to lie either. She needn't know that her suicide attempt brought her here._

_"It's only there to keep you off the edge."_

_Erica wondered what he meant. She had thought about it from time to time but she never acted on it. So what did he mean by ‘off the edge’? Had she done it? Was that why—_

_Her contemplation was disturbed when his door flung open on its own, alarming her._

_"Now, go. I've got urgent matters to attend."_

* * *

 

 

Charlie exhaled as he shut the door behind him.

It had been a long day for him and he was looking forward to heading home; if he could find it, that is. Last he heard, Sathanus had it tucked away in a forbidden pocket universe. Emphasis on the word 'forbidden'.

If only he had kept to himself that day, he'd be doing whatever it was that his heart desired; listening to records, playing video games, reading. But instead he was stuck (secretly) dealing with lost souls and running errands for the prince of Hell.

_Complete the list, and the cycle will be broken. Procrastinate, and more will be added._

That was the promise that Sathanus had made to the newly born Charlie the day they first met. Charlie, still naïve and unassuming at the time, had thought it would be fun and had agreed to partake in his little game. It had been years since the game began and Charlie had yet to see the finish line.

_The list._

Speaking of, he felt an intense heat radiating from his pants, singeing his skin. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small piece of parchment and surely enough, another chore had been added to the list. He could just imagine Sathanus lounging on his throne, laughing at his misery.

_Damn him._

"I need a drink," Charlie declared after some thought.

He shoved the list back into his pocket as he slowly made his way towards the mini bar that was behind the client's couch. He poured himself a much welcomed glass of Scotch, swirling and sniffing it before taking a proper sip.

 _To heck with the list, I'll be damned if I do and damned if I don't anyway_.

"She's gone," he announced, allowing himself another sip before leaning against the edge of the bar.

Without much of a warning, a shadowy figure emerged out of thin air, silent and seething. Charlie beckoned it to approach but it preferred to remain in the dark corner, dreading the effects of sunlight.

Many referred to their kind as the Hat Men, genderless shadow demons that fed off the fears of others. Not many could truly see them as they only appeared out of the corner of one's eye, making them think that it was a trick of the light.

**What took you so long?**

"We're alone now," he replied nonchalant, "You don't have to worry about her. I doubt that she'll be coming back now seeing your little trick scared her off." 

Charlie could feel it scrutinizing him from head to foot, trying to catch him in a lie. There was an unspoken law claiming that lying to a Hat Man was off limits, especially those prone to violence.

"Something the matter?" he confidently took another sip, pretending not to notice. 

**Sathanus has given us a new task and we have yet to accomplish the old ones. Are you not aware of the time constraints, John?**

Charlie flinched at the name.

Being John was both a blessing and a curse as his given powers made him invincible, almost omnipotent, in fact. He could do anything he wanted: warp realities, manipulate time, control minds. Everything was within his grasp.

A hefty price came with it, however, violent deaths and eternal damnation to those he cared for. Tried as he might, he could never bring them back. For once in his life, he felt mortal.  _It's lonely, being a God_.

He was more than happy to leave John behind.

"The name's Charlie." he cautioned as he placed his Scotch on the bar.

At a pace that can be called leisurely, he straightened up and crossed over to the window, viewing the scenery. _Sigh_. The sight unnerved him, it was nothing but an empty wasteland. And the sun wasn't any help either, it did nothing but burn his corneas.

"We should start making adjustments to the plane," he mused, making wave-like gestures with his hands as if the outside was a painting of some sort, "It's too bright for my liking."

**We don't have the time, John. Sathanus...**

Charlie put his hand up to where the sun was and like a volume knob on the radio, turned it an anti-clockwise direction. Slowly but surely, the sky began to darken, almost mirroring the night sky.

"No, no," he shook his head, dissatisfied, "That's too dark. The humans will notice."

**You claim to have left that world behind, John. But you use your powers still.**

**If you had learned to control it then, Melissa would still be alive and breathing.**

Charlie froze, years of deep-seated anger creeping out from beneath his skin. The Hat Man had crossed a line. Her death was not his doing, he was certain. She just happened to be in the way, an unfortunate statistic.

 _Control it, control it_.

The objects around him began to judder, emitting a loud noise that was almost deafening. He closed his eyes and began to chant. _Aequam servare mentem_. He had to control his powers, he had to.

**Her death was on your hands, John. Do not deny it.**

_Aequam servare mentem. Aequam servare mentem. Aequam servare mentem._

He kept on chanting, ignoring its taunts. He had left that life behind, he was never going back.

**Infinite powers, John! We could bring down Sathanus! We no longer have to do his bidding! You know this, John!**

"Charlie?"

A woman's voice made Charlie jump out of his skin. He opened his eyes and saw Josie's reflection in the window. She was a virtual assistant that he had created out of pure boredom, his own version of Siri.

Everything around them was unnaturally calm, no longer on the verge of exploding. Nothing was broken, nobody was hurt... This had never happened before.

It was then that his head began to throb, sending him to his knees.

"Is everything alright, Charlie?"

"I'm fine, Josie," he rubbed his temples as he pushed himself up, "Just a headache. What brings you here?"

"Eric is here to see you."

**Eric?**

"Eric," Charlie muttered "Erica's twin."

Another one of his clients, Eric, was a man with paranoid schizophrenia. He, too, stumbled into Charlie's office. Another soul stuck in limbo. But unlike Erica, he came with a purpose: to retrieve Erica and bring her back home.

In many ways, Eric reminded him of Melissa. Both helpless people with a need to help others, fancying themselves heroes. At times he found it endearing, at most times irritating. What appealed to him most though, was Eric's feeling of isolation.

 _Melissa would have wanted me to help_.

The first time Eric had come looking for him, Charlie had taken the chance to modify his memory, making him think he was there for therapy instead of searching for Erica. Deep down he knew that it was a selfish move, but this was his only chance to atone for his sins. 

He thought of turning Eric away, worried that he might lose control again.

 _I've never come across such kindness in my life. Except for my sister, of course._

_Fuck._

He was finding it harder and harder to turn them down the longer he remained. _It's because they're needy, unreliable creatures that shouldn't be left unattended_ , he would repeatedly tell himself.

"Send him in," he grumbled, waving Josie away.

"Very well."

As she turned to walk away, Charlie noticed the shadowy figure skulking away from his corner, gliding towards Josie. Knowing of its malicious intent, he quickly flicked his wrist, slamming the door shut in its face.

"Don't even think about it."

**She has seen too much.**

"You know that we can't get rid of her," he argued as he plopped down on his seat, "Besides, who will she tell? There's hardly anyone here."

**I will if you won't.**

Charlie pondered his threat. He knew that his companion meant business. That it'd even kill a child when push came to shove. Better he than it, he concluded. If he took over, he could reboot her systems at the very least.

"I'll handle it once the day is done." he offered.

**You've gotten soft for these humans, John.**

"No, I haven't." he denied, hastily plastering a fake smile on his face when he heard the door open.

"Dr. Stevens?" Eric called, poking his head through the door. He took a careful look around the office and did a double take when he saw a dark figure slinking back into the corner of the room.

"Come on in, Eric," Charlie insisted as he took note of Eric's expression "Make yourself comfortable."

**There's nothing there, mate, trick of the light.**

_Not now, voices_ , Eric shook his head, taking a seat on the couch. _Not today._

He kept turning towards the corner, actively searching for the figure. He could've sworn that he saw something there.

"Everything alright, Eric?" Charlie enquired, pulling him out of his reverie.

**I would keep my mouth shut if I were you.**

_You might be wrong, he's here to help._

"This might be the schizophrenia talking," Eric hesitated before answering, "But there's someone standing in the corner of your office."

He pointed towards the corner, hoping that the doctor could see what he saw.

"Is there?" Charlie raised his eyebrow, acting bemused, "Have you been taking your medication, Eric?"

Eric began to panic. He _had_ been taking his medication. _Maybe it was a trick of the light_ , he convinced himself. He didn't want to disappoint Dr. Stevens, they had made a lot of progress this past year. It would be upsetting if he were to relapse.

**Lie.**

"I'm sorry, Dr. Stevens," he stuttered, avoiding eye contact, "I've been working nights, lately. I was probably tired."

**That's a good lad.**

"It's quite alright, Eric," Charlie smiled, leaning back in his seat, "Now let's begin, shall we?”


End file.
